Meet to discuss education scenario

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Tura, March 19: South West Garo Hills deputy commissioner Ram Singh today held a meeting with heads of various educational institutions in the presence of district school education officer to discuss several issues plaguing the education system and ways to improve the education scenario in the district.

Addressing the heads of schools, Singh expressed concern over poor results and very low pass percentage in matric exams in the past five years and emphasised the need to improve quality of education.

He said regular inspection of schools would be conducted by sending magistrates. He said at times he would himself visit the schools. He directed the school heads to strictly adhere to school timings, maintain discipline, hold regular morning assemblies and ensure regularity of teachers.

He said schools should discourage use of local languages and use English as the medium of teaching.

Singh said the district school education officer would be sending guidelines that they had prepared for schools, adding that it was up to the heads of schools to guide and discipline their students.

Referring to the chief minister’s career guidance programme, which would be implemented in all schools, Singh asked: “How will the children make their careers if they are not motivated and oriented to study?”

Singh asked the school heads to ensure that teachers do not smoke, chew betel nuts or tobacco in front of students, saying that being role models they must abstain from such acts.

The teachers must also motivate the students not only to pass but to excel and get agood percentage, he added.

During the course of the discussion, some of the heads of schools apprised Singh of the difficulties in supervising errant teachers and problems they had with school management committees.

He also called for helping students of Class IX who come from upper primary schools with poor foundation and sought extra classes for them.

Singh assured them that their issues and problems were being noted and would be addressed at an appropriate level and also urged the school heads to hold regular meetings with villagers, parents and teachers to regulate activities of their committees.

He said he would call for similar meetings also with block-level resource centres and community-level research centres in the district.